NUST

Turning ideas into action

The overall winners of this year’s Namibia
Business Innovation Institute’s (NBII) Business
Idea Competition are Jesaya Mwandingi and
Rusten Katjangua who were singled out for their
exceptional innovative thinking. They were the
winners out of a total of ten aspiring entrepreneurs
who received prizes ranging from laptops and cash
to data storage devices that are set to boost their
businesses.

The pair’s idea entails the provision of additional security features on the existing branding that is used on all taxis in Namibia. The security identification features will be unique, making them difficult to duplicate. This will ensure that a taxi is safe to use and that it is licensed. The idea originated from a need to lower the many cases of undocumented taxis being used in crime syndicates.

The second prize went to Mikka Johannes who plans to start a company that designs and manufactures portable heat engine generators that use firewood to charge small electrical devices.

The third place was taken by John Lush, Gunter Rust and Toivo Thomas who will use their prize money to produce an alternative animal feed through cultivating and processing insect biomass.

The NBII holds this competition annually to stimulate the minds of aspiring entrepreneurs to create innovative business ideas that can help to develop the nation’s economy.

The Bank of Namibia’s Director of Strategic Communication and Financial Sector Development, Ndangi Katoma, handed over the prizes and emphasised the importance of the Bank’s national capacity building agenda which, he said, remains committed to supporting institutes such as the NBII.

The Vice-Chancellor of NUST, Tjama Tjivikua, urged the winners to continue pursuing their dreams and to make a difference in society. “This should not be the end of the road for you. Turn your ideas into plans and ultimately into action. I hope this process encourages you to inspire others to do more for our country,” Tjivikua said.

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